Convertible article of furniture



Jamzs, 1947. HNBARNUM 2,414,998'.

\ CONVERTIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Filed Aug. 1l, 1945 mi Ammm TTY'J.

Patented Jan. 28, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE. ARTICLE0F FURNITURE Howard N. Barnum, South Euclid, Ohio Appiication August 11,1943, Serial No. 498,177

3 Claims. I

This invention relates to furniture of the convertible and/or knock-downclass, and more particularly to a piece of furniture for use in game orrecreation rooms which, when in one position, serves as a seat or benchand, when in another position, provides a ping pong table or a table onwhich other games may be played or which may be used for generalpurposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a piece of furniture of theconvertible class that serves both of two purposes emciently andsatisfactorily, and that is sturdy and has an attractive appearance andstands solidly when in either of the two positions in which it isintended for use.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a piece of furniture of theso-called knock-down variety which may be packed in small compass forshipment and storage and readily assembled for use.

A further object is to provide a piece of convertible furniture whereinvery few, if any, of its parts have to be adjusted in adapting thestructure to its alternate purposes, and which has a rocking or rollingcontact with the floor, when being converted, which action serves toshift the structure between a position near a wall, where it desirablystands when used asa seat or bench, and a position in properly spacedrelation to said wall, when the structureis to be used as a table.

Objects of a more detailed nature will appear as this descriptionproceeds, reference being'had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig.l is a perspective view of a piece of furniture incorporating theinvention and showing it in the position it occupies when used as a seator bench, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same,substantially on the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1, the view including, in dottedlines, the structure in the position it occupies when used as a game orother table.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts in the two views, I; is. a rectangular panel thatconstitutes the back ofthe bench or seat when. the structure occupiesone of its4 two intended positions, and that forms the table topv whenthe structure is in the other of such positions, The panel I isdesirably made in two parts or sections designated Ia and Ib,respectively, that are of substantially equal size and nearly square.Attached to one side of the panel are stringers 2 and 3, each beingdisposed parallel to and near one of the lateral edges of the panel.These stringers are desirably detachably connected to the panel, as bybeing apertured at suitable intervals and engaged over hooks thatproject from the panel. The Stringer 2` is narrow, relative to theStringer 3, the latter being of sufficient width to constitute thebottom ofa compartment 5, other walls of which are formed by a portionof the panel I and bya front board 6. A seat I provides a lid for thecompartment E, and adjacent its forward edge is supported by the frontboard B and at its-rear edge by two cleats 6 that` are carried,respectively, by the parts Ia and Ib oi the panel. The front board 5 andstringers 2 and 3 are provided with end extensions or tenons 6a, 2a and3a, respectively, the tenons 6a havingslots for the reception of wedges9, while the tenons 2ad and 3SLV may be apertured 4tor tapered pegs It,if desired.

I2, l2 are end members that are provided with rnortises for thereception of the tenons 2a, 3a and Se, and also with apertures in whichare journaled trunnions 'Ia of the seat 1. When the stringers areattached to the panel I and the end members i2A applied to the tenonsthereof, and with the tenons te of the front board 5 engagedy throughthe mortises provided for them, the structure will be in properlyassembled condition, and' the parts may be firmly held in theirrespective positions by wedges 9 (and pegs IIJ` if the latter areincluded) when they are forced` as far asthey will go into therespective openings provided therefor.

Each end member l2 incorporates a relatively Iwide portion I3. an edgeIwhereof, that is parallel to the panel I, is spaced from said panel adistance that may be termed table height. Obviously, this distance isvariable, depending upon the purpose to which the table is tobe put. An

edge I6, that is at right angles to the edge I5, is

desirably flush with one of the lateral edges of the panel I. Connectingthe edges I5 and I6. is a rocker portion l1. In other respects themembers I2 may be shaped as desired, each, in thepresent case, havingthe more or less conventional pro-iile or a Pullman bench end. Pivotallyconnected to the. inner 'side of each member I2, desirably inA the anglebetween the Stringer` 2 and* the adjacent portion of thelpanel I, isaleg 2li. The legs 2D are intended to be folded against the panel I whenthe structure occupies the position shown in Fig. l, and in full linesin Fig. 2. In lsuch position, the structure serves the purpose of a seator bench which may be placed with the panel I practically against thewall of a room, such as a game or recreation room. Variou's articles maybe accommodated by the compartment 5, to which access is readily gainedby swinging the seat 'I upwardly on its trunnions 1a, such articles, forexample, as pillows or cushions for the seat, and ping pong racquets,balls, nets and/or other game apparatus.

When it is desired to convert the piece of furniture from a seat orbench to a table, the paraphernalia for playing the game may be removedfrom the compartment 5 and the legs 20 may be thrown out into rightangular relation to the panel I, being stopped in such position by thestringer 2, and the structure rolled over on the rocker portions II sothat it stands on the edges I5 and on the legs 20, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 2. This process of conversion may be reduced tonothing more than the rocking of the structure from one position to theother, simply by making the pivotal connections between the end membersI2 and the legs 20 sufficiently loose to permit the legs to swing underthe influence of gravity. The rocking over of the structure from theposition it occupies near the wall as a bench or seat, to the positionit occupies as a table, spaces the structure a sumcient distance fromthe wall to permit its use as a ping pong or other table without;further shifting; and furthermore, the shaping of the end members toprovide the rocker portions I'I provides the highly essential toe roomfor persons having occasion to closely approach the table.

When the structure is disassembled, the parts may be compactly arrangedby reversing the end members with respect to each other and placing themflatwise between the sections I a and I b of the panel I, in whichcondition they and the panel sections may be wrapped, or placed in acarton of corrugated paper or other material. The stringers 2 and 3,front board 6 and seat 1 may also be compactly arranged for wrapping, orfor insertion in a long carton. The small parts, consisting only of theWedges 9 and pegs I0, may be enclosed in an envelope or the like andpacked in one of the beforementioned wrappings or cartons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An article of furniture of the convertible class comprising a paneland two end members, one such member attached to the panel adjacent eachend thereof, each end member having a oor engaging part so spaced fromthe plane of the panel that when said part is in contact with the floorthe panel is located table-height from the iloor, and a second floorengaging part in substantially the plane of one of the lateral edges ofthe panel, and a permanently exposed rocker portion of considerableradius between said parts that is adapted to have direct rolling contactwith the oor, and a seat situated between said end members with its rearedge adjacent said panel and its front edge spaced from said panel adistance within the spacing from said panel of the adjacent ends of therocker portions of the end members whereby to avoid any tendency of thearticle to rock under the influence of weight imposed upon the seat whenthe second floor enaging parts of the end members bear upon the oor.

2. An article of furniture of the convertible class comprising a paneland two end members, one such member attached to the panel adjacent eachend thereof, each end member having a floor engaging part so spaced fromthe plane of the panel that when said part is in contact with the floorthe panel is located table-height from the iloor, and a second floorengaging part in substantially the plane of one of the lateral edges ofthe panel, and a permanently exposed rocker portion of considerableradius between said parts that is adapted to have direct rolling contactwith the floor, a seat situated between said end members with its rearedge adjacent said panel and its front edge spaced from said panel adistance within the spacing from said panel of the adjacent ends of therocker portions of the end members whereby to avoid any tendency of thearticle to rock under the influence of weight imposed upon the seat whenthe second floor engaging parts of the end members bear upon the floor,and means for maintaining the panel substantially parallel with thefloor when the first mentioned floor engaging parts of the end membersare in contact with the floor, said means comprising an element pivotedto the structure and a Stringer extending along the other lateral edgeof the panel and adjacent which said element is pivoted and whichstringer serves as a stop for the element to limit the swinging movementthereof in a direction away from the panel to substantially 3. Anarticle of furniture of the convertible class comprising a panel and twoend members, one such member attached to the panel adjacent each endthereof, each end member having a floor engaging part so spaced from theplane of the panel that when said part is in contact with the floor thepanel is located table-height from the floor, and a second floorengaging part in substantially the plane of one of the lateral edges ofthe panel, and a permanently exposed rocker portion of considerableradius between said parts that is adapted to have direct rolling contactwith the door, a seat situated between said end members with its rearedge adjacent said panel and its front edge spaced from said panel adistance within the spacing from said panel of the adjacent ends of therocker portions of the end members whereby to avoid any tendency of thearticle to rock under the influence of weight imposed upon the seat whenthe second oor engaging parts of the end members bear upon the floor,and means for maintaining the panel substantially parallel with thefloor when the first mentioned floor engaging parts of the end membersare in contact with the floor, said means comprising a Stringerextending along the other lateral edge of the panel, and two legs, eachpivotally connected to one of the end members on an axis at right anglesthereto so as t0 swing in a plane parallel to that of said memberbetween an ineiective position closely adjacent the panel and aneffective position in which it is stopped by engagement with saidStringer.

HOWARD N. BARNUM.

